Please help us continue to provide you with free, quality journalism by turning off your ad blocker on our site.

Thank you for signing in.

If this is your first time registering, please check your inbox for more information about the benefits of your Forbes account and what you can do next!

I agree to receive occasional updates and announcements about Forbes products and services. You may opt out at any time.

I'd like to receive the Forbes Daily Dozen newsletter to get the top 12 headlines every morning.

Forbes takes privacy seriously and is committed to transparency. We will never share your email address with third parties without your permission. By signing in, you are indicating that you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Statement.

Misty Copeland Speaks On Pirelli Calendar Debut and Stripper Shaming

Italian tire manufacturer Pirelli launched the 46th edition of its coveted calendar in Milan this month, featuring images shot between Miami and New York by famed photographer Albert Watson. In keeping with its alternative approach to “sexy” since the year 2016, the company – known for celebrating the female form – has shed the image of pin-up calendar. The 2019 edition titled “Dreaming” is centered around four protagonists: Gigi Hadid, Misty Copeland, Julia Garner, and Pirelli calendar veteran Laetitia Casta. The leading women are joined by fellow cast members Alexander Wang, Calvin Royal III, Sergei Polunin, and model Astrid Eika.

Pirelli CEO Marco Tronchetti Provera and Misty Copeland.

Pirelli

American Ballet Theatre (ABT) Principal Dancer Misty Copeland, interprets the role of a dancer working towards her big break whilst stripping to make ends meet. Aware of the racial stigma and shaming culture surrounding her character, the ABT’s first African-American Principal Dancer stated, “Clearly, as a black woman it wasn’t something where I was like, ‘Oh yeah cool, I don’t see any stereotype here – let’s do this.’ It’s definitely a stereotype, also within the ballet world. But whenever I think of myself, I think of myself tackling those things. Like, not running away from those things and addressing them instead. I don’t want to put those women down. They work hard to get what they need to get, to do what they want to do. They often don’t have a support system, so for me it’s so important to recognize these women.”

As part of our post-press conference interview the ballet dancer added, “It’s easy for people to be like, ‘Come on girl - why would you do this? You’re a fucking black girl.’ Clearly I think of myself as a role model, but I think it’s also important to separate who I am as a person, from who I am as an actress or ballerina. If I’m a swan on the stage, that doesn’t mean I’m a swan in real life – the same thing applies to these women. In the end, I thought of it as an amazing challenge to dive into this role.”

As part of her Pirelli calendar debut, Copeland is accompanied by fellow ABT dancer Calvin Royal III. The ABT soloist acts as Copeland’s other half throughout the calendar’s visuals. A struggling dancer who - like his calendar girlfriend - is eager for that break-through gig. “Someone like Misty bringing me on to do this project with her has been incredible. I’ve seen the impact representation has in our field with kids who see somebody on the stage who looks like them – it inspires them to dream too,” the Pirelli calendar male cast member concluded.

Misty Copeland and Calvin Royal III photographed by Albert Watson for the 2019 Pirelli calendar.

Pirelli/Albert Watson

This year’s gala dinner in honor of “The Cal”, was hosted by Oscar-winning actress Halle Berry at Pirelli’s HangarBicocca venue in Milan. The “Dreaming” calendar shot by Albert Watson, is a sequence of forty shots narrating the tale of four women pursuing their dreams and passions. As per usual, the calendar is not for sale, but distributed amongst a select few instead.

Based in Milan, I write about fashion and lifestyle-related topics, with a soft spot for Made in Italy and emerging markets. I kicked off my career at the age of 19,…

Based in Milan, I write about fashion and lifestyle-related topics, with a soft spot for Made in Italy and emerging markets. I kicked off my career at the age of 19, contributing to GQ India about the soirées hosted by Italian designers. As a journalist I've worked with international editions of GQ and Vogue, in addition to covering events from Dubai to Kingston, by way of Lagos and back to Milan.
My list of interviewees includes fashion icon Roberto Cavalli, sports icon Pelé, Emirati real estate tycoon Mohamed Alabbar, and late Vogue Italia Editor-in-Chief Franca Sozzani.
Though Milan is the place I call home today, I'm Dutch according to my passport, and of Surinamese heritage (you may want to Google map that).